"The unfortunate reality is that Saddam is being tried not for reasons of justice, or to uncover the extent of his crimes, but to provide a gloss of legitimacy for the US’s occupation of Iraq and the political order it is establishing there to defend its interests in the post-Saddam period."

On Dec. 1, 2005, at a public forum, on Capitol Hill, ex-Rep. Paul Findley (R-IL), urged President George W. Bush to pull U.S. troops out of Iraq-promptly. He offered a four point plan to that end. Findley said that his greatest fear is that Bush “will persist in his quest for a military victory.” He praised Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) for demanding an “early and complete exit from Iraq.” Findley called for ending the U.S.’ “ugly role in the killing fields of Iraq.”

"...what about setting a timetable to leave? Certainly the desire for Americans to leave is the single uniting concept for all Iraqis of all religions or ethnic groups (except for the Iraqis who derive power from the American occupation)."

"The fact is that nothing Bush ever says is fully true, and rarely totally false, either. Bush deals in facts that mislead and deceive. Bush attempts to deceive the American public, the American soldier, and the Iraqi public about his goals and methods."

"According to many observers and analysts, the communities at risk from these sedition laws would be the Australian Muslim community, the anti-globalisation and anti-war protest movements and the freelance journalists and ethnic media who already have no strong voice in the mainstream. The operations and actions under these sedition laws would eventually damage the image of Australian freedom of speech, internationally."

"Now, after so much clear evidence has emerged to discredit the entire U.S. war effort, Colin Powell still can’t bring himself to stand up and account for his crucial role. Instead, he’s leaving it to a former aide to pin blame on those who remain at the top of the Bush administration. But Powell was an integral part of the war propaganda machinery. And we can hardly expect the same media outlets that puffed him up at crucial times to now scrutinize their mutual history."

"For 33 years now, there have been no problems on our border with Syria, in spite of the unresolved conflict over the Golan. Who knows what will happen if Syria falls prey to anarchy? OK, that's no problem for America. But it certainly is for us."

"The West’s anti-Iranian propaganda is unlikely to develop into anything significantly more serious in the near future. The US cannot afford to confront Iran at the moment; Syria is indeed in far greater danger of attack, particularly in the period before the next presidential elections, as the neo-conservatives try to ensure that Dick Cheney or another of their men is elected to replace George W. Bush in the White House."